Hollis-Jefferson beats Brownlee anew for Best Import plum in Governors’ Cup

MANILA, Philippines – TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has made a habit of beating out Barangay Ginebra counterpart Justin Brownlee.

Hollis-Jefferson retained the Best Import of the Conference honors in the PBA Governors’ Cup on Sunday, November 3, as he bested Brownlee anew to become only the 11th player to win the award multiple times.

The former NBA player won convincingly as he paired individual excellence with team success, averaging a league-leading 57.4 statistical points (SPs) and steering the defending champion Tropang Giga back to the finals.

With Hollis-Jefferson showing the way, TNT — a team that exited the quarterfinals in the last two conferences — posted the best record in the elimination round with an 8-2 card.

The Tropang Giga then made quick work of NLEX in the quarterfinals, 3-1, and Rain or Shine in the semifinals, 4-1, as they arranged a finals rematch with the Gin Kings.

Hollis-Jefferson led TNT in all five statistical departments, putting up 28.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 2.9 steals, and 1.9 blocks through the semifinals.

Joining elite company, Hollis-Jefferson pulled level with Norman Black, Billy Ray Bates, Derrick Brown, Gabe Freeman, Jerald Honeycutt, Arizona Reid, and Kenny Redfield for Best Import wins.

Only seven-time winner Bobby Parks and three-time awardees Brownlee and Allen Durham have more Best Import plums.

Brownlee fell short of breaking his tie with Durham as he lost to Hollis-Jefferson just like in the Governors’ Cup last year.

While Brownlee also guided Ginebra to the finals, he finished a distant second in the statistical battle with 50.9 SPs behind averages of 28.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 blocks.

Other imports who were considered for the award were San Miguel’s EJ Anosike (44.6 SPs) and Rain or Shine’s Aaron Fuller (41.8 SPs). – Rappler.com